The Best Rappelling Ropes

Rappelling or abseiling is used by a variety of different sports and activities like rock climbing or mountaineering as a way to descend from large heights. In situations where it’s too steep or dangerous for you to try and descend without any protection, abseiling is the solution.

The most important part of any rappelling kit is the rope. With so many different options and specifications of rope available, it can be useful to have a guide to help point out the better purchases, along with letting you know what you are looking for in a rope.

The Club is whats called a semi-static rope which means the stretch on the rope is somewhere between a static rope and a dynamic rope. If you are not sure of the difference please check out the FAQ at the bottom of the page where I will go over the rope types and the differences.

The rope is available in a range of different lengths (40m, 60, 70, and a monstrous 200m) which means you can always find a size to suit your needs regardless if your a rugged mountaineer or a first-time abseiler.

The Club has also undergone Petzls EverFlex, this means the rope has been created via a special weave to ensure strength and long life along with being treated to ensure durability.

Weight wise, the Club is 69g per meter which means it’s not too heavy to be carrying up and down mountainous terrain which is likely what you will be using it for.

What We Like:

Sizes – Petzl offers multiple different sizes to suit all users regardless of sport or activity.

Handling – A benefit of the EverFlex treatment is the rope has great handling which gives you more control over descents.

UltraSonic Finish – The rope has an additional finish on the ends to stop fraying and lengthen the life of the rope.

Specifications:

Diameter: 10 mm

Certification(s): CE EN 1891 type A, UIAA

Breaking strength: 28 kN

Strength tied with figure-eight knot: 16 kN

Impact force (factor 0,3): 4,8 kN

Number of factor 1 falls: 10

Weight per meter: 69 g

Construction: 32 carrier

Percentage of sheath: 41 %

Static elongation: 3 %

Please note: This rope should only be used for rappelling or top-rope climbing it is not suitable for lead or sport climbing.

While it’s not one of the house name brands like Petzl or Black Diamond, Aoneky is starting to make a name for itself as a reliable rope manufacturer.

They offer their 10mm rope is several varieties of color which is black, blue, red and yellow along with a variant on each color, this will help the fashionistas among you pick something that matches the rest of your climbing kit.

It is sheathed in heavy-duty nylon that is tear and rot-resistant, which means you don’t have to worry about your rope catching on those sharp rock faces, or about giving it a clean after a muddy day outdoors.

What We Like:

Choice – Due to the wide range of lengths available it’s easy to find the right size for your budge or task.

Hooked end – one of the ends of the rope is pre-stitched into a loop. this will help

High-Quality Sheath – The protective sheath around the core is very durable and tear-resistant which is one less thing to worry about while rappelling.

Specifications:

Diameter: 10mm

Length: 96FT (30M)

Metal Carabiner included

Materials: Polyester fiber sheath + nylon inner core

Skin slip rate: ≤0.05%

Max tensile force: 12KN (2645.5lb)

Please note: While the rope is perfect for rappelling the carabiners are not, I would make sure to buy yourself a new set with this rope.

If 30m is still too long for your liking Peak Grit is also available in a 20m length but I would recommend sticking with the 30m and minimum as it gives you many more options and is small enough to tie to the top of your pack.

What we Like:

Complete Customer Satisfaction – Peak Grit leave you a happy customer or your money back! no questions asked which is always a great feature.

Compact – The small lightweight design means its perfect for hikers who might just want to get a little adventurous on the trail.

Frequently Asked Questions

So you might be wondering what do I mean by a static rope and a dynamic rope? When people talk about dynamic or static they are talking about how the rope reacts to the applied load.

So a static rope for example when taking loads will not have much stretch in the rope. This style of rope is best suited for fixed rope activities such as Caving or rappelling.

A dynamic rope, however, will stretch when a load is applied to it. This type of rope is best used for dynamic activities where the rope is likely to take a sudden load due to something, such as a fall in climbing.

You can also get Semi-static ropes that are halfway between a dynamic and a static.

What is the best size rope to use for rappelling?

Typically in rappelling, you are going to want a rope that’s at least 9.5mm to 11mm in diameter but its also going to depend on what device you are using.

When picking a rope to keep in mind that the larger diameter you choose the heavier the rope as a general rule, however the larger the rope diameter the more tensile strength it will have so you will need to formula a decision on what size is best for you keeping this in mind.

What’s better Nylon vs Polyester?

Nylon and polyester are the most popular materials that rope is made of but which is better and what’s the difference?

While both of the materials share a few traits like being lightweight, stretch and shrink resistant they each have their own unique traits.

Nylon is a lot softer than polyester but its also the stronger of the two materials.

Polyester while not quite as strong as nylon it will do the job but its real value lies in its abrasion and moisture resistance which means its much quicker to dry perfect for any wet environment.

Whats better for Rappelling Dyanmic or Static?

Because rappelling is a fixed rope activity it’s much better to use a static rope where possible. The reason being, it’s much easier to pull and will take more wear than a dynamic before it needs replacing.

Dynamic ropes can be used for rappelling but will wear out much quicker and have the advantage of being able to be used for other activities such as climbing.

Other Worthy Mentions

So, as usual, there are a few that didn’t quite make the top pick but are all good choices depending on your activity of choice.

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